Embodiments of the present invention relate to video games, and more particularly relate to techniques for aiding users of game consoles in creating custom gameplay data for a video game based on audio data stored on a portable media device.
In recent years, console-based “music” (or “rhythm”) video games such as “Dance Dance Revolution,” BeatMania,” “Guitar Hero,” and the like have grown tremendously in popularity. A music video game is a type of game that challenges players to enter inputs in accordance with gameplay cues, or markers, that are designated for a song in the game's musical soundtrack. The gameplay cues are typically synchronized with one or more aural components of the song, such as the underlying beat or the notes played by an instrument. Thus, the gameplay of a music video game is generally oriented around a player's ability to enter inputs “in time” with the game's music. In some games, the gameplay cues are represented by visual indicators that aid the player in recognizing when to enter an input, and what the input should be.
Since a music video game generally requires gameplay cues (i.e., gameplay data) to be defined for each playable song in its soundtrack, currently available music video games are limited to including a predefined number of songs. For example, the game “Guitar Hero” for the Sony PlayStation 2 game console includes 47 total playable songs in its soundtrack. This limitation can be problematic if, for example, only a small percentage of the songs included in a music video game appeal to a particular game player.
One possible solution to the above limitation is for game developers to simply provide a greater number of playable songs for their music video games, either as part of the games themselves, or as part of later-produced sequels or “expansion packs.” For example, Guitar Hero II, the sequel to Guitar Hero, includes an additional 40 songs not found in the original. However, this approach may be problematic for several reasons. First, given the broad range of musical tastes that people have and the relatively limited storage capacity of game media, it is possible that an expanded song list will still include only a handful of songs that appeal to each game player. Second, creating gameplay data for a large number of songs may be time-consuming, thereby undesirably extending the development cycle of a game. Third, acquiring licensing rights for a large number of songs from the composers and/or original performers may be prohibitively expensive. Fourth, in the case of a sequel or expansion pack, consumers may be unwilling to pay an additional cost for what may be perceived as a “rehash” of the original game.